Super Mario Bros Wonder -- Thoughts?

[Razzie.P]

Any of you playing Mario Wonder?   Love, hate, or meh?

 

I'm undecided at this point.  I've finished the first 2 worlds, and some of the creativity is simply mind blowing, but I'm just not really enjoying it that much.  And I'm not sure why.  I suspect it's a "difficulty" thing that could change later, but so far it seems like I'm just coasting through with no challenge while going "ooh..." and "ahh..." and all the neat visuals.

 

I dunno... I'm really hoping it clicks.   Also, Mario sounds like Mickey Mouse now, at times  🤒

[digdugnate]

8 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

Any of you playing Mario Wonder?   Love, hate, or meh?

 

I'm undecided at this point.  I've finished the first 2 worlds, and some of the creativity is simply mind blowing, but I'm just not really enjoying it that much.  And I'm not sure why.  I suspect it's a "difficulty" thing that could change later, but so far it seems like I'm just coasting through with no challenge while going "ooh..." and "ahh..." and all the neat visuals.

 

I dunno... I'm really hoping it clicks.   Also, Mario sounds like Mickey Mouse now, at times  🤒

 

Are you using badges for the stages?  I find the game a little more fun without them equipped.   The block badge in particular makes the levels WAY too easy for me.

 

I like it- I'm on world four now but only playing a little bit each day to avoid one-shotting the game.  I think if someone is looking to recapture the magic of Mario 3 or Mario World they'll be disappointed, but I've had fun with my playthrough so far.  I think it's more engaging than Sonic Superstars, personally.

Edited October 22, 2023 by digdugnate

[Flojomojo]

It seems to be a bit of a gameplay loop, where you get new skills then go back and retry the old stages you passed previously. 
 

I’m playing it thru it slowly (no binges) and caffeine seems to help my enjoyment of it too. 

[Razzie.P]

On 10/22/2023 at 6:37 AM, digdugnate said:

 

Are you using badges for the stages?  I find the game a little more fun without them equipped.   The block badge in particular makes the levels WAY too easy for me.

 

Eh, kinda of, I guess.  It equipped the "floating hat one" and I just left it on.  And I used the swimming one for the water race.  But I never really thought of those as anything optional to make it easier... more like just part of the design same as Fire flowers and such.  Like I wouldn't have thought the water race could have been won without having the badge equipped.  Could be wrong though.

 

18 hours ago, Flojomojo said:

It seems to be a bit of a gameplay loop, where you get new skills then go back and retry the old stages you passed previously. 
 

I haven't seen that yet.   I just finished World 3 and have pretty much gotten 100% of everything on the way through, no "going back" needed, other than replaying a level immediately to get what I missed.   But it did just open up with what may lead to that, by --

 

Spoiler

allowing the player to choose to visit the next worlds in whatever order they want.  At least I think that's what's about to happen... I had to quit at that point and haven't played anymore yet.

 

[digdugnate]

16 minutes ago, Razzie.P said:

Eh, kinda of, I guess.  It equipped the "floating hat one" and I just left it on.  And I used the swimming one for the water race.  But I never really thought of those as anything optional to make it easier... more like just part of the design same as Fire flowers and such.  Like I wouldn't have thought the water race could have been won without having the badge equipped.  Could be wrong though.

 

I haven't seen that yet.   I just finished World 3 and have pretty much gotten 100% of everything on the way through, no "going back" needed, other than replaying a level immediately to get what I missed.   But it did just open up with what may lead to that, by --

 

  Reveal hidden contents

allowing the player to choose to visit the next worlds in whatever order they want.  At least I think that's what's about to happen... I had to quit at that point and haven't played anymore yet.

 

 

You would be correct.   *That* part is kinda nice.

[+madman]

I'm digging it, I'm about halfway through worlds 4 and 5, dabbled in 6 a bit. I'm generally not a 100% kinda guy, but going back and 100%ing W1 was a good time and a good way to rack up some purple coins.

[digdugnate]

cool! I finished out World 5 this morning and have been dorking around in World 6 (this is the last one I have).  I have all the seeds out of World 1, just gotta pick up some remaining purple coins and get the flags for a few   

 

(oh, and I assume find the hidden world exit too)

[+madman]

I finished off 4 earlier today, I liked the old school feel of the boss level (I forget what they're called). However Bowser Jr. is always so easy to beat. For whatever reason, New Super Mario Bros Wii felt like just more of the same for me and I couldn't really get into that game. But with Wonder it feels like the old Mario games, but with enough new concepts to keep me interested and make it feel fresh.

[digdugnate]

I liked the boss fight in World 4 (if it's the one I'm thinking of with the swimming).

Edited October 24, 2023 by digdugnate

[+madman]

15 minutes ago, digdugnate said:

I liked the boss fight in World 4 (if it's the one I'm thinking of with the swimming).

Yeah, that's the one. The bubbles of water and spikes on the ground did add something different, so I'll give it that. If I do lose a life on a Bowser Jr battle it's generally because I jump too early while he's spinning in his shell. 

[digdugnate]

14 hours ago, madman said:

Yeah, that's the one. The bubbles of water and spikes on the ground did add something different, so I'll give it that. If I do lose a life on a Bowser Jr battle it's generally because I jump too early while he's spinning in his shell. 

 

When you get to it, the fight in World 6 is super cool, too, I thought.  

[bradhig1]

Fluff Puff Peaks Special Climb to the beat nearly killed me.  I had to go through it twice to get all the purple ten coins. I am ringing wet with sweat right now.

[digdugnate]

fair warning, there will be more rhythm levels, lol

[+Gemintronic]

Wife was having a bad day so got her Super Mario Wonder.  Problem solved!  Traditional SMB action with a happy, silly style.

 

..except she feels like the A and B buttons are reversed compared to what she's used to.  It would be an easy fix on emulation but this is on a real console in dock mode.

 

At first glance it seems like they give you just two button configurations.  I hope I'm wrong.

[Tanooki]

I had to wait until my kid got her copy for her birthday before getting a copy the following Monday.  Sadly I've only done most of the first world, time isn't on my side anymore.

 

From what I can feel out from it so far, largely positive.  It feels more like an original Super Mario Bros (1-4 ie world) style play in style mixed in with the wall kicks though.  The physics, motion, reaction feel more like a normal game, not that 'NEW' stuff where it felt like you were always sliding on micro-ice patches, a bit too fluid, a bit too just ...off.  The game hasn't had a boring moment unlike 'new' did either even early on.  I like the variety of the stage I've done, and the added sub-challenges seem to nod back to the 16bit era even or really Mario 64 with the extra stars or the extra spaces in space with Galaxy.  The game has some obvious KIRBY (Return re-release/Forgotten Land) undertones on the overworld with a bit of a free roam, picking challenges, picking stages out of order, the first SMB game without a death clock timer too.  The game is more Kirby-ish emphasizing solid tight control and encouraging some exploration than light-moderate looking but making it in time.  My kid dragged me into a bit of 2 player same time, she wasn't happy, but made her play within the first world so I wouldn't ruin later stuff but it went fine, smooth really on 2 switches over wifi.

 

I have a couple light concerns though, I see some shitty moments later maybe with speed running little bits for those bonus wonders, or some bs with music based timing stuff which I physically can't do more often than not (ugh.)  But it doesn't seem like what's there is going to be a progression stopper.

[bradhig1]

That last level final final badge challenge I think it is called is too hard. They need to nerf that thing or somebody is going to die trying to beat it after what I went through last night sweeting and screaming and still couldn't win it.

[Video]

Lack of difficulty has been a Mario thing for a while now (all the "new super Mario bros" games shower you with free lives) but its also been one of those games that's a blast to play. And, while uber easy to play through, it does have difficulty if you're A 100%er.

 

Its part of my love for Mario. Easy game to unwind to after a night of choking chickens (lol, not as cool as it sounds, that could be taken so wrong, oh god.....um...I'm going to shut up now) with usually well designed levels, worlds, and mechanics. But still some difficulty if you wish to pursue it, all the exits, all the dragon coins, all the alternate dimension worlds.. And that's just super Mario world.

 

Anyhow, thanks for the heads up, I thought I preordered this game, but due to my lack of receiving I guess not, time to order.

[bradhig1]

I got as far as the wall jumping part and couldn't wall jump to a red block because the wall jump 2 badge caused me to go back left to the wall I was trying to jump from.

[Video]

Well it came in Thursday. I'm probably roughly half way through the game, slogging through the desert area.

 

So far its a great game. It IS very easy and short levels if your only goal is get to the end, but some levels ramp up pretty hard when your trying for all the seeds and flower coins and such. Still I'm in no danger of dying to death or anything. Graphic and level design is great, and the alternate levels or parts from getting the bonus flower are crazy, being chased by world destroying bad guys, turning into various creatures, even the ones that change the physics so your playing a top down version of the level. Ill probably "beat" this game this weekend, but its likely ill put weeks more in to get everything.

 

Super Mario is here, as fire Mario. There's a bubble shooting mario, elephant, and driller mario. So it adds some new powers there, as well as a whole lot of new baddies.

 

If your a Mario fan at all, I'd totally recommend it. Its a bit different from earlier games, but I doubt it'll do much to change minds if your not already a Mario fan.

[Tanooki]

Well from what I said last time to now I dug the game out and went a tiny bit into world 2.  I do finally have a concern that popped up in world 1, the swampy under area had these 2 stages, and I for the life of me can not figure out how to unlock, find, or trigger the mid-stage wonders, just got the flag one.  One in particular seems to have no tell, the other a mouthy flower near these three looking background pillars keeps whining about something being obvious, which clearly it isn't.  Shit like that is a HUGE turn off to me in modern platformers.  Why can I not just play the stage an enjoy it?

 

That's how it worked in the 80s and 90s for these types of games, now you have to add in gated annoyances.  I mean I could read a guide, but that's just aggravating.  For now I've left it, not going to be a perfectionist about any game or I'll just give up on them if it came down to it, and that's not a now thing, that's a going back decades thing as 100%'ing stuff is stupid unless you're like the type that has no life or gets like 2-3 games a year. :\

[roots.genoa]

4 hours ago, Tanooki said:

That's how it worked in the 80s and 90s for these types of games, now you have to add in gated annoyances.  I mean I could read a guide, but that's just aggravating.  For now I've left it, not going to be a perfectionist about any game or I'll just give up on them if it came down to it, and that's not a now thing, that's a going back decades thing as 100%'ing stuff is stupid unless you're like the type that has no life or gets like 2-3 games a year. 😕

Uh... We may not have played the same games in the 80s and 90s then... Games were full of secrets and obscure stuff (remember Castlevania 2 and the crouching on a specific spot for instance). I think it's the contrary; these occurrences are rare now. In the case of Super Mario Wonder, remember you'll get a badge to detect secrets, so maybe they kept some of them well hidden for that.

[R.Cade]

It should be easy. It's a kid's game.

 

[Razzie.P]

Finished the game yesterday.  Well, finished a playthrough to the credits, that is.  There's still tons of extra worlds and such, but not sure I'm gonna go through those any time soon.  The game was ok, but didn't really love it.  The creativity was amazing, but the lack of challenge made it an overall boring sort of thing.  I finished with 61 lives remaining, and didn't do any farming or badges to make it easier or anything like that... just had no challenge for me, sadly.

 

On 11/4/2023 at 12:00 AM, Tanooki said:

Well from what I said last time to now I dug the game out and went a tiny bit into world 2.  I do finally have a concern that popped up in world 1, the swampy under area had these 2 stages, and I for the life of me can not figure out how to unlock, find, or trigger the mid-stage wonders, just got the flag one.  One in particular seems to have no tell, the other a mouthy flower near these three looking background pillars keeps whining about something being obvious, which clearly it isn't.  Shit like that is a HUGE turn off to me in modern platformers.  Why can I not just play the stage an enjoy it?

 

That's how it worked in the 80s and 90s for these types of games, now you have to add in gated annoyances.  I mean I could read a guide, but that's just aggravating.  For now I've left it, not going to be a perfectionist about any game or I'll just give up on them if it came down to it, and that's not a now thing, that's a going back decades thing as 100%'ing stuff is stupid unless you're like the type that has no life or gets like 2-3 games a year. 😕

 

I'm not really sure what you're on about there.  Not saying you're wrong, but I just finished the main storyline and there was only 1 level where I felt that I had to "figure anything out" to find an alternate exit to proceed.  Other than extra levels and secrets and such (which I believe have ALWAYS been there in these kind of games) it was pretty straightforward from front to end.  Unless I just got really lucky or something.

 

 

[Tanooki]

Well I sure as hell have no idea how to find those 2 wonders in world 1 in the toxic under area.  I may come back to it, just rather go at my own pace forward than be superficially stuck.

 

And I had no idea there was a find secrets badge, that would make the difference.

[Video]

There's a find secrets badge, but its only minimally helpful. Mario has a ring light up around him when your close by, but that's it, it gives you a general idea where to search, but that's it.

 

Got to the credit, but there's a lot I didn't do, the special world levels are pretty brutally hard, and some levels have alternate exits that aren't always obvious.

 

I still liked the game though, nice easy bit to unwind to, with plenty of more difficult sections to really test you. I'd have had a much easier time if I strictly played to the end, but I'm more the look for secrets type, so I died a lot looking for secrets on levels I've never played. Still beat it with no farming and had 50+ lives at the end.